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More people to get social dividend

Following the government’s decision to expand the income criteria for recipents of the so-called social dividend, another 250,000 will next week receive the one-off payment made to those deemed to be in the greatest need. The social dividend is funded by the primary surplus of the 2013 budget.

There will in fact be two disbursements, as after the quarter of a million to get their payments next week, another batch of taxpayers will collect the handout after submitting their 2014 income tax declarations. The deadline is set for July 14.

Some 80,000 applicants who had originally been rejected based on their 2012 incomes have now made it onto the list of recipients due to a decision to take 2013 into account incomes instead.

A further 40,000 applicants fulfill the benefit criteria but their applications have entered the revision process for various reasons. In total the expansion of the income criteria has added 130,000 recipients.